The Excavation of a Roman Tilery on Great Cansiron Farm, Hartfield, East Sussex

Abstract

During the winter of 1981/2 Giles Swift of the Wealden Iron Research Group discovered in a ploughed field on Great Cansiron Farm, Hartfield, East Sussex (TQ 45603835) an area of burnt clay and Roman tile, together with a few pieces of Roman pottery. The site, which lies close to a small stream, is located between an extensive Roman iron-working site to the south-west and possible large Roman iron-ore quarries to the north-east (FIG. 1). In advance of further plough damage, during the summer of 1982 the Field Archaeology Unit (Institute of Archaeology) undertook a trial excavation and survey in order to attempt to interpret and date the site more precisely. This work was funded by the Department of the Environment and East Sussex County Council. The 1982 investigations revealed a well-preserved Roman tile kiln and a rectangular floor of tile and burnt clay. Unfortunately extremely inclement weather during the second half of the excavation meant that it was impossible, given the time and resources available, to finish excavating either of these discoveries. The farmer, Mr Udell, kindly agreed to leave and plough around the excavation area and a second season of excavations was undertaken in 1983 thanks to the financial backing of East Sussex County Council and Keymer Handmade Clay Tiles of Burgess Hill, Sussex. In between the two excavations, staff of the Ancient Monuments Laboratory carried out a geophysical survey of the area to the west of the tile kiln.

An Archaeological and Historical Review of the Relationships between Felids and People

“…In much of the Roman Empire the earliest-known remains of domestic cats (for example, in Belgium, the Netherlands, Hungary and Switzerland) were found principally in Roman settlements (Bökönyi 1974;Maxwell 1975;Kirk 1977;Clason 1980;Rudling et al 1986;MacKreth et al 1988;Van Neer 1990;Lentacker and de Cupere 1994;Ellis et al 1999;Jores 2004;Canters et al 2005 and references therein), confirming that the Romans spread domestic cats throughout Europe (Kratochvil and Kratochvil 1976;Teichert 1977;Serpell 1988;Malek 1993;Daniels et al 1998;Clutton-Brock 1999). For example, bones of at least fourteen cats from a Roman villa in Pannonia (Hungary) (Bökönyi 1974(Bökönyi , 1984 is evidence of their rapid spread throughout Europe in the Roman period.…”

I. Sites Explored

“…A partial parallel may be noted at the Hartfield kiln where a similar set of vertical tegulae were recorded, though on one side of the flue entrance only. 351 Ashtead may provide a complete example. There are signs of a tiled base to the first period flue and a diagonal side wall which seems to face the front of the first period stokehole and probably bonds into the flue end.…”